A/N: Tis a short chapter this one…

Chapter 6—Stretched Thin

4:29…4:32….4:35…4:35 still…

Each time Marik got an opening he didn't waste a moment and checked the clock in as much tact as he could muster. He didn't have the stomach to eat the food his friends brought; he was too terrified, and it was hard enough to engage in small talk with Ryou while not giving himself away. At the same time he was frantically trying to think up a good excuse to get them out without making Bakura suspicious. He was already on Bakura's bad side so it wasn't going to be a small feat.

He glanced up at the clock again. 4:35. Oh, my Ra, he had only 5 minutes left. Out the corner of his right eye he could see Malik beside Ryou and his heartbeat sped up. He watched as Malik slowly walked around Ryou before stopping by Bakura's side.

/Such pale skin he has.../ said Malik as he observed Marik's friend. /There doesn't seem to be any marks...Haha, such purity./ He looked up at Marik as he trailed a finger down Bakura's skin.

Almost immediately Bakura jumped and looked right through Malik, rubbing his arm.

"Bakura?" Ryou asked.

The albino teen looked back at the two of them before shaking his head. "It's nothing; just got a chill."

Ryou shrugged and changed the channel as Marik glanced at the clock again: 4:37.

/You like him, don't you?/ continued Malik, still looking at Bakura with hungry eyes. /Can you imagine him beneath us? I can. I can think of all sorts of things I can do to him too.../

Leave him out of this! Marik all but screamed in his head.

/I thought you wanted him?/

Wh-what?! What makes you think that I want-

/You seem to keep forgetting that I am a part of you so who are you trying to fool here? I know every single thing about you. Right down to your little daydreams about this.../ Marik watched in horror as Malik's hand lowered slowly down Bakura's body, stopping just above the teen's crotch, /inside you. Why not have a little fun with-/

"-Police have yet to catch or even name a suspect to the brutal assault to the male shopkeeper that occurred at the Kame Game Shop three weeks ago."

Marik's head snapped towards the TV, his mouth slowly opening as images of the shop flashed across the screen. He looked at Malik and saw him smiling, his earlier suggestion forgotten now. His dark was completely enrapt as he saw his handy work on TV.

"No further details have been giving by the police," the reporter continued, "but they do say they have a lot of work ahead and believe the crime may be an act of revenge."

Bakura snorted and immediately received a reprimand from Ryou. "What?" He asked, slurping the rest of his noodles down. "Don't tell me you don't think somebody wanting to finally payback to Mr. Goody Two-Shoes isn't funny? Tch, he probably pissed off the wrong person for once."

Oh, you have no idea….

Malik snickered at this as Marik slowly looked down at his hands. He didn't even hear Ryou's remark to Bakura's snide comment. A single thought ran through his mind over and over again: Malik had nearly killed a total stranger. The proof was staring him blatantly in the face and Marik realized he had been living in a fantasy world. He could no longer believe Malik was telling the truth after seeing the wreck of the shop on TV. Hell, he was sure the shopkeeper the reporter mentioned was even far worse off than his shop, perhaps even still in the hospital. There was no justification for the sheer brutality he had just witnessed even if Malik was struck first.

He glanced at the clock again and quickly stood up. It was 4:44 and Malik was too busy with the news to realize it.

"Hey," he started, pulling his phone out of his pocket and pretending to check the time, "I actually have some things to do around the house since my sister is coming back from her trip. I want the place to look at least halfway decent before she gets here. So, if you don't mind..."

"Oh, no," said Ryou, immediately standing and dragging Bakura up with him when he didn't move. "We didn't realize we caught you at a bad time."

"No, it's fine," Marik smiled weakly. "I'm glad you guys came to see me."

Bakura snorted before pushing Ryou towards the door and opening it. "Yeah, well, don't make this a habit."

"Come by the cafe sometimes!" Ryou called out as Bakura closed the door behind them.

Marik breathed a sigh of relief as he locked the door. That went a lot better than he thought it would.

/Well, aren't you lucky?/ asked Malik, from beside the couch.

Marik closed his eyes. Instead of commenting on that line of topic Marik stated, "You said you could've defended yourself better..." A flash of the teen's blood flashed across his mind. He was starting to feel sick. "But he was already in a position where he couldn't put up a fight yet you still kept attacking him!"

/Ra, this again?/

Marik's eyes shot open and he looked angrily at Malik. "Yes, this again! You lied about what happened! I'm sure he didn't do anything to cause you to trash his whole shop and I'm definitely sure there was no need to hold him at knife point!" By the time Marik had finish he was shouting and his hands were clenched into fists when he suddenly realized something. "Oh, my Ra, I'm going to jail," he whispered. "No, probably—solitary imprisonment—that...that...Oh, my-"

/Just shut up./

Marik looked up in astonishment at Malik who was apathetically cleaning his ears.

"You can't-?! Do you even realize what you did?! I'll be going to prison for something you did!"

/For the first and last time you're not going to jail./

"Of course I am! Somebody has bound to have seen you trying to killing him! If not that, then DNA or-Ah!"

Malik was suddenly in front of him and, out of fear, Marik reflexively stepped back only to find his back make contact with the front door. His breath quivered as Malik raised his hand and slowly brushed it down the Egyptian teen's face.

/Now that I've gotten your attention,/ he said, coolly, /if you were listening to that thing you would have heard that they don't have a clue about anything. Now...I'm becoming very tired of you questioning me. You were doing fine before those two showed up.../

That's because I just filed that incident as some horrible dream...Marik thought, trying not to cry. Now, I can't even pretend...

/You're beginning to annoy me./

Marik felt those ice cold hands wrap around his neck and Malik's face was now inches from his own. Seeing those dark eyes focus on him sent shivers down Marik's body. Weeks ago he wasn't able to put a name to what was off about Malik's eyes but looking at them now...He realized the kindness Malik expressed back then was only a façade. He was stupid to think otherwise; for years the voices—Malik— had always something threatening, violent, or negative to say to him and the people around him. For years he felt like he was going insane, falling down in some deep, dark hole with no end and for years he felt so uptight and insecure; it was always like he had to look over his shoulders to make sure Malik didn't surprised him. He realized now he had let himself be deceived by a being that wanted nothing more than to inflict pain on others. And now that the rose-colored lenses were off Marik knew he had nothing else to hold onto. He couldn't find his meds, he couldn't tell his sister, and checking in to the nearest asylum was something he knew he wasn't ready for so, he was stuck with Malik…and those eyes that Marik could now identify as delitescent madness. Even now it was just barely hovering on the surface, swarming in and out of soulless depths as Malik smiled.

/You're so weak it's pathetic,/ he said, rubbing his thumbs across Marik's neck but not squeezing. Marik couldn't help but flinch at his dark's touch causing Malik to cackle softly. /Are you afraid of me? Haha.../ He made an imitation of a roar and, again, Marik flinched. /Hn, as you should be. Do not think for a second that someone as pathetic as you can control me like you used to. Don't forget...you let me in. You don't get a say in this anymore. So, remember that the next time you want to try and get in my way again...If you do...I might just make you watch as I bring that lovely friend of yours to his knees...or how about your sister? Hm? She's so desperate to fix you anyway. Especially with the help of those quack doctors.../

Marik's eyes went wide. "No! Stay away from her! And Bakura! They-urg!"

/What?/ asked Malik, his hands now clenched around Marik's throat. Marik tried to pry them off but that only made Malik squeeze harder and leaving him gasping for air. /You're not listening...Fool, I don't know how you made it this far./ He cocked his head to side and a wide, eerie grin spread across his face. /Maybe I should show you what I'm really capable of...since you're so adamant on protecting the very people that want to subdue you. Like...Bakura. Somebody you'll never have. Who'll never want somebody like you./

Shut up...That's not true...

/Ah, but it is...So, why not make him ours for a while? I certainly want him. Just think of that pale..pure skin pressed up against ours...and all the things I'll do to it...and him. Hahaha, I'll make sure to make the occasion one neither of you will ever forget./

"Please!" Marik gasped. "I won't-"

/I know you won't because I won't let you,/ Malik interrupted. /Not again. You can forget about destroying me...you can forget about getting help...Only fools rely on the help from the desperate. I'm free now...and this home is so much better than the one you created for me, hehe./

Choking on his sobs, Marik felt a rush of relief as Malik released his neck and began to fade away. He wiped his palms against his pants and tried to steady his breathing.

"I..I need to get out of here," he said to himself.

He didn't waste a second as he grabbed his keys, opened the door and left the house.

-o-o-o-

It was a full two hours before Marik was forced to return back home. Thunder was rumbling in the distance and the wind was blowing right through his t-shirt and jeans. If it weren't for the bad turn of the weather, he knew he would've stayed out much longer. He didn't feel safe enough to return home but, as he walked up the steps to his home, Marik realized it might be better for him to barricade himself inside because of Malik. Going outside would just give Malik a reason to torture somebody, Marik thought miserably. Probably in broad daylight too….

He stopped in front of the door and dug out his house key before noticing the lights were on. "Did I leave the lights on?" he asked himself softly. No…no, he didn't. The lights weren't even on when he left. So….

"Fuck," Marik muttered. If it was his sister and she really did come early he was screwed since he probably didn't look like he had seen better days and if it was an intruder he was still screwed because Malik would make the poor soul his plaything and the cops would come and eventually make him their plaything.

/Wow…./

Marik closed his eyes. Please be quiet….

/If I feel like it…./

Malik snickered as Marik sighed, unlocking the door and entering inside. "Hello?" he called out. He felt his stomach drop as he spotted his sister's luggage by the stairway. "Sister?"

"Marik!"

The teen made his way to the staircase where Ishizu rushed to meet him. "What happened? I thought you would at least be home waiting for me…."

What? Marik looked at her in confusion. "I didn't think you would be home for another two days…."

"What are you talking about? I clearly remember telling you yesterday on the phone that I would be coming."

"You did?"

Ishizu gave him a sideways glance as she walked into the kitchen. "Yes." She got herself a glass and poured herself some water before looking at Marik's bewildered expression. "You…really don't remember?" she asked. "Are you alright?"

He forced himself to put on a smile as he felt Malik begin to bristle at his sister's questions and inquiring looks. What Malik had said to him was still fresh in his mind; if he wasn't careful…if he didn't make sure Ishizu or anybody else weren't suspicious of him…Malik would surely make good on his words. "I'm fine," he said. "It just slipped my mind, that's all."

Tapping the glass with her fingertip, Ishizu didn't say anything for a while causing Marik to squirm inwardly at her stare. "If you say so…"

"I do," Marik replied, turning away from her. "I'll go bring your bags upstairs."

As the Egyptian teen grabbed Ishizu's things and headed to her room, a sense of dread washed over him. No matter how hard he tried he really couldn't recall talking to her on the phone.

And that worried him immensely.